Zenyatta meets Genji, an Overwatch one-shot
by EpicClimax0
Summary: Have you ever wondered how Zenyatta first met Genji? Well this is how it went. This was a one shot that I was requested to post so here it is. I hope you enjoy!


Piece by piece the world came together once again. Genji could feel the embrace of soft fabric and the gentle rays of sunrise catch his eyes. It was a fleeting peace, as moments later he could also feel the sharp pain that spread throughout his abdomen.

Once again he was waking up in a bed with no memory of how he got there, only this time it definitely wasn't an Overwatch hospital. The room was traditional and simplistic in design with crisp winter air flowing through the open windows. More importantly it appeared as if he was alone.

Genji began to slowly sit up but his chest was still in a lot of pain. Looking down he found that some of his cybernetic armour had been taken off and replaced with bandages and ointments. He carefully inspected it by touching the wounds and he immediately winced in pain doing so. It was still tender but he could feel that it had healed a great deal while he was asleep. Someone had saved him from the brink of death once again… but who?

His curiosity took over as he frantically looked around the room for more answers. Anchored to the bed he couldn't find any more clues to suggest who his mysterious healer was. Genji struggled to get up more determined to find out what was going on. He groaned in agony at his chest wounds but steadied himself by leaning his hand onto the wall.

Trudging slowly out of the room he finally saw the outside of where he was. Grand mountains surrounded him, standing tall and massive that the sight of their beauty took his breath away. Statues of omnic monks floated proudly, decorative elephants and bells were scattered throughout the monastery, and Genji could see a few omnics meditating in the courtyard just ahead. The sight of it all sent him into utter shock. What was this place? Why was he here? He had to find out. Struggling once again to take another step he heard a voice behind him.

"Ah, you have awakened," the voice said sounding very deep but unmistakably synthetic. Genji turned his head to see an omnic monk peacefully floating a few feet in the air. Genji had never seen such an omnic before, and couldn't hide the utter shock and confusion that played upon his face.

"Who… who are you? What is this place?" he questioned the strange robot. The omnic came closer and Genji nervously tensed, he wasn't sure of its intentions and wished he was better equipped to defend himself. The monk however, ignored his apprehension and greeted him with warmth and comfort.

"I am what I am," the omnic said. "I am a spirit just as any other; I seek to enlighten those who have lost their way in this world," he explained.

Genji was confused by that answer, how could an omnic have a spirit? They were just machines; tools of war from long ago, it didn't make any sense.

The monk gestured to the bed once again, "please rest, you have many questions but the answers will come soon enough," he insisted. Genji didn't move a muscle; he couldn't rip his gaze away from the strange robot.

"How can I trust you? You're just a machine; you could be programmed to keep me a prisoner here. You could even be planning on dissecting me like so many other omnics have tried to do. I would not be surprised since many of your kind are unfettered by human ethics."

The omnic didn't take offense to his remark, only nodded in understanding.

"I see..." he said, "You desire proof that you are safe here, but I cannot show you in your current state. You must have patience if you wish to discover what truly seek… Genji."

Hearing his name sparked even more desperation for answers.

"What! How did you- how do you know my name?!" he sputtered in disbelief.

The omnic didn't respond only gestured to the bed once again, "patience…" he reminded him. Genji looked from the omnic to the bed still hesitant. He shook his head,

"I must know your name if you know mine, then I will trust you," he stated.

The omnic paused and clasped his hands together in contemplation,

"I have many names such as you, each one given by those who do not understand me."

The robot gently placed a hand on Genji's shoulder and looked him in the eye, "names are temporary, changing, shifting through the sands of time. Who I am lies not within my name, but my soul. Your name alone does not dictate who you are, Genji Shiamada, it is the self that remains eternal and it is the self that you can trust," he backed away and held out his metallic hand.

"Have faith in yourself before you place it in my hands, ask yourself if I am worthy of your trust. Words can be deceiving but the heart cannot lie, listen to it and believe in its gentle wisdom," he said bowing his head slightly.

Genji was dumbfounded at what the omnic had said, and the more he pondered his words the more hatred welled up inside him. Genji trembled in anger and glared at the foolish omnic, the stupid machine had no idea what it was dealing with.

"You are wrong!" he spat venomously, "I no longer have a heart."

Genji ignored the pain clawing at his chest and stood up straighter in defiance, "the place where my heart used to be is made of wires and metal, it pumps surges of electricity through my body, and it's cold and lifeless. What once was red now beats black, and the last shred of humanity I possessed died when I destroyed everything I knew. I am a ghost shrouded in the memory of a human, an empty shell of a man encased in metal skin, a living weapon that kills without mercy; there is nothing you say that can change what I am. I am a heartless monster."

Genji shook with fury once the words came out; the anger inside him was enough to make anyone back away in fear.

The omnic didn't flinch away from him though; he wasn't terrified by him in the least. Instead he floated in silence, calmly assessing Genji like a concerned father.

"I see…" he said once again. "It is strange that one who claims to be heartless has such passion within them. Your soul is restless and uncertain, but not heartless," he explained.

The omnic patted Genji on the back, "get some rest, we will speak more tomorrow."

With that the omnic began to float away leaving Genji with more questions than answers.

* * *

That night Genji awoke from his restless sleep. The moonlight seared through his eyelids relentlessly mocking him. He turned over in his bed and let out a frustrated sigh.

He hated being in the dark, not knowing where he was or who was keeping him here. He needed to know but he was marooned on a bed with the moon staring into his soul.

Worst of all was that insipid omnic, babbling about nonsense as if it knew anything about what he was going through. It had never been human; it had no idea what it was like to be… a freak. Genji couldn't take it anymore, even if it killed him he needed to know what was going on.

He dug his fingers into the wall and pulled his aching body to sit up. He could feel the wires writhe around his bones like snakes under his skin. They were loose again, if only Ziegler were here to tighten them properly. She would probably scold him for being so reckless with his fighting as she always did. He couldn't help it though; if he didn't go all out he wouldn't be able to fight nearly as well as he did.

Genji tossed one metallic leg over the side of the bed, heavy and cumbersome just like the other. He remembered how difficult it was to walk with these legs at first. He could barely stand, eating the dirt like a toddler when they first tested him. Some of them laughed at him but not Ziegler, she never laughed when he failed.

He sat on the bed staring at his metal feet; they never did give him toes. He just had two silver stumps for feet and somehow he learned how to balance himself on them. They said it was a scientifically better design for a foot than a human foot ever was. He didn't care though… he wanted real toes.

The wood creaked slightly under the weight of the pained cyborg. He clutched his bandaged abdomen as if everything was going to burst out of his chest. It had healed a considerable amount since he didn't need to lean on the wall to stand anymore, but the places where his organs used to be were taut with agony.

He took a step forward, swaying slightly but forced himself not to fall. He didn't want the omnics to know he was awake. With great pain he managed to focus all his energy in keeping his footsteps as silent as possible. He left his room to find an open staircase heading downstairs.

The air felt colder as he climbed down, but he could smell cherry blossoms and cinnamon sticks as he descended. His chest kept screaming from the pain he was putting himself through, but he forced himself to ignore it once he heard voices from below.

The staircase went into a living room, filled to the brim with trinkets and art and all sorts of weird things. The scents came from the cherry blossom trees growing near the high walls and the cinnamon came from the incense by the wooden coffee table that was carved to look like a flower. It was a room so cluttered and yet organized in its disarray. While the air was cold there were warm colour tones of browns greens and golds to warm the soul. It was a room so hypocritical of itself that somehow it all made sense and felt strangely… _human_.

Genji inspected it all from his perch on the staircase but he didn't dare go down all the way. He could see the shadows of two people - omnics, two omnics talking.

One belonged to the omnic monk he spoke to that morning, but the other looked more slender and was clearly the younger of the two.

"What were you thinking?!" the slender omnic whispered in a frantic tone. "You brought an Overwatch assassin to our temple without letting anyone know?! Without even telling me? I have been by your side for ten years and you couldn't trust me with this?"

Genji stiffened as it was plainly obvious they were talking about him, but judging from the omnic whispering they still believed he was asleep.

The omnic monk raised his hand switching the dynamic of the conversation, "Turquolio, I would entrust you with my life. It is not trust that I stole from you, but worry. You fear too much from the hearts of strangers, and this instance is as any other a test of your faith. To believe the worst in others is to expect the worst from the world. For we are all strangers in this world, it is only until we gain the courage to smile and say hello that a stranger can become a friend."

Genji could see the omnic, now known as Turquolio, bow his head slightly.

"I understand that master, but he is not a simple stranger who came to us for guidance." Turquolio spoke in a low voice. "He is dangerous, and he does not deserve our hospitality for the damage he has done to this world."

"Our guest has done nothing to raise alarm," the monk outstretched his arms in a graceful and fluid motion. "He is just as frightened as you are now. Neither of you have anything to fear, yet you choose to do so because you face the unknown."

Turquolio fiercely shook his head, "with no disrespect to you master but I strongly disagree. He was a member of the Shiamada clan, he can't be trusted"

"I trust him, I see great potential within him," the monk said gleefully.

Turquolio sliced the air with his hand, "well I don't, I dislike humans who have killed of their own free will and he has killed many."

Genji narrowed his eyes in disgust at the omnic's words. This robot, Turquolio, had no idea what it was like growing up in the Shiamada clan. In fact it sounded more like it was talking about his blood thirsty brother rather than him. Yet Genji couldn't deny that he had killed in his past, but certainly not as many as his star pupil of a brother. He never wanted to take up the family legacy he just wanted to party, have a good time and be… normal.

"Yes, but was it truly his choice?" the monk spoke up. Genji lifted his head up slightly and watched the shadow of the omnic monk speak more passionately than before.

"He was raised in a world of anger and hatred, I believe he has turned that anger upon himself and cannot be at peace until he learns how to resolve the conflict within. In the past he has dealt with anger through violence and now that he is angry at himself he must learn another way to deal with his turmoil."

The monk raised his hand and a floating orb hovered just above his palm. It began to glow, its aura felt soothing and immediately filled Genji with a sense of comfort.

"Harmony," the monk announced as he lifted another orb to his side, "balance," and two more, "peace and tranquility." The orbs floated around his hand in a circle. "Once he has the will to find salvation, he will be able to accomplish anything." Then just like that the orbs rearranged themselves to float around the omnic's neck, almost like a necklace.

Genji squinted his eyes in disbelief at what he was hearing. The dumb omnic just kept spewing words but none of them added up. How was he supposed to find tranquility living in a half dead body made of metal legs and toeless feet?! It was absurd.

The other omnic sighed and shook his head. "I know you see yourself in him," Turquolio stated coldly.

"You used to be angry too… _Zenyatta._ "

Zenyatta… he had heard of that name before. The outspoken omnic who led a revolution, he spoke of souls within machines and hearts within code. He used to rally omnics along streets to join him in peaceful protests.

"That I was," Zenyatta nodded slowly, as if reliving his memories within a single moment. "But our paths have crossed for a reason, and I will try to lead him to inner peace."

"But why?" Turquolio challenged, "Why him?"

Genji leaned in closer to listen, curious as to what the leader of the omnic revolution would say.

"Why?" Zenyatta repeated, "because it is as you say Turquolio… I see someone who is angry at not only the world but himself. A man who is trapped in a body he never asked for, that he can never find solace in what he is. A mirror cannot shatter unless force is brought upon it. His reflection is fractured and the mirror has shattered his identity, his mind, his soul, and his heart. It will take a long time to put the pieces back together, but with patience and time he will see himself once again."

The omnic clasped his hands together and quickly bowed his head. "I pray that will be enough to ease your mind for the night?"

The omnic made it appear as if he was asking the question to Turquolio, however Genji could notice his swift glance up the staircase as if he was addressing him. His blood ran cold and he froze in place; the omnic knew he was there the entire time?!

"I will be satisfied with your answers for now master, but I insist you keep a close watch on him," he said with a sigh.

"Oh do not worry about that Turquolio…" Zenyatta cast a smile at Genji for a split second, catching his dumbfounded stare with a gentle wink.

"I am."


End file.
